Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has taken office as Britain's seventh prime minister in ten years, succeeding Keir Starmer. While world leaders have warmly congratulated him, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed hope for a deeper relationship and new momentum in the partnership between the UK and the EU, international media has focused on the immense scale of the challenges awaiting him.
Taking office on Monday, Burnham reshuffled the cabinet to remove allies of his predecessor. He appointed John Healey as finance minister, Wes Streeting as defence minister, and Ed Miliband as foreign secretary. Despite the removal of Starmer's allies, Burnham gathered his cabinet for its first meeting on Tuesday and vowed to adopt a one-team approach.
Burnham has signaled a leftward shift, promising a ten-year programme to offer a new political and economic model for the country, moving away from the neoliberal policies adopted in the 1980s. He aims to end a decade of political instability and improve lives while tackling the rising popularity of the far right and the cost-of-living crisis. Burnham is expected to set out his first measures on Tuesday in an attempt to deliver on these promises.